Digital society and the digital economy are already part of our daily lives, but what are the differences between the concepts of digitising your business and digital transformation of companies?

Digitise your company:

By digitising your company we mean committing to the use of new technologies and all that this implies: communication on social networks, automation of processes, applications to manage and coordinate tasks, commitment to offshoring and the introduction of ICT devices in the day-to-day work routine. Digitising a company starts with the transition from traditional work tools to the use of new technologies.

Digital transformation:

When we talk about digital transformation we mean a step further. Digital transformation implies a change of mentality that involves “thinking in digital mode” to access a new model of customer behaviour and, from the internal point of view, a change in decision-making processes, leadership and organisation of companies so as not to be left out of the business opportunities of the Digital Economy.

Digitising your company is essential to access the opportunities of digital transformation, but it is not the only step and the two terms are not synonymous, but complementary concepts. The digitisation of companies, especially SMEs, is a prerequisite for digital transformation, but it must be accompanied by a change of mentality to approach a new consumer and the opportunities of a new market model.

What are the keys that mark the path towards digital transformation? The first step must be a firm commitment to the use of new technologies and, in this sense, it is essential to begin the process of digitising organisations.

1. Initial diagnosis

To initiate a process of change, it is essential to know where we are and what our expectations are in the short, medium and long term. In this sense, the first step to digitise your company should be to draw up a diagnosis that allows us to know the strengths and weaknesses of our company and which elements should be taken into account in our roadmap.

2. Develop a digital strategy

Digitising your company is a prior step to a more profound change of digital transformation. This model of “thinking digital” involves focusing a large part of the business strategy on the digital environment. To do this, it is essential to draw up a strategy of objectives, both from an internal point of view and in the communication of the company to the outside world. The ultimate goal is to move towards a digital business model that will be essential to access all the opportunities offered by digital transformation.

3. Commit to the training of your employees

Digitising your company means implementing a digital culture in your employees. For this, ICT training is essential, both in the use of digital tools and in the field of the change of mentality that digital transformation processes entail. Training has gone from being an extra to becoming a basic pillar in the digitalisation of organisations.

4. Incorporate new technologies in your company

If you are going to start digitising your company, it is essential to have the ICT tools that best suit your business objectives. At present, the market offers thousands of solutions and options, although not all of them are necessarily the most suitable for your business. In order to do so, we must analyse the specific needs of your company’s activity, but in general terms we can highlight the following:

• Tools for task and project management.
• Business applications for SMEs.
• Software as a service for SMEs.
• Cloud storage services.
• Tools for management and communication in social networks.
• Platforms for setting up an online shop.
• Cybersecurity tools to protect your company from cyber-attacks.

5. Attract digital talent

When digitising your company, you must opt for a digital employee model in which a specialised profile is increasingly necessary, in constant training and which provides the ICT vision that the company needs to take the next step.

6. New decision-making and management processes

Digitising your company is not a task that can be carried out in the short term. Starting to work with new ICT tools and managing a new way of decision-making processes is a task that will be realised in the medium term. In the same way, new technologies drive new leadership models.

7. New communication and advertising channels

Digitising your company also implies a change in the relationship with your customers and new channels for the dissemination of services and products. At this point we enter into such important aspects as advertising on social networks, the use of tools for communication on networks, digital marketing strategy, etc. Digital Transformation puts the customer at the centre of the entire strategy. Reaching them and building customer loyalty will be the priority objectives of a new communication and sales model.

For the path towards digital transformation in companies to become a reality, it is also necessary to bring about a change in the mentality of the employees who form part of their structure and those who join the organisations. What do companies need from a digital employee?

• Adaptation to change as a hallmark of a global market that has customer tastes at the centre of all organisational strategy.
• Capacity for self-learning and the ability to apply knowledge for the benefit of results and productivity at work.
• Constant training focused on the practical field and the processes that form part of the company’s day-to-day work and objectives.
• Identification with these objectives and involvement with the values and culture of the organisation.
• Availability and full connectivity to address any changes in strategy or approach to production processes.
• Ability to build customer loyalty through the use of online tools.
• Use and management of collaborative tools. The ability to work in a team is a must for any digital employee.
• Knowledge of cybersecurity tools to guarantee the privacy of communications and data of both the company itself and its clients. Efficient management and risk identification.
• Creativity and the search for new solutions are, beyond technological knowledge, two of the qualities most valued in the digital employee.
• Specialisation, but understood in terms of change and adaptation to new decision-making processes and management tools. Search for transversal profiles.

As experts say, employees are the real driving force behind the digital transformation change for companies. The change of mentality involves both parties and must use new technologies as a lever for this process, not as an end in itself.